The massive Wrexham AFC history thread (The sad case of a founding members and player of Wrexham...)

[WasanActonlad]

Appears to be elderly, thought 60's, though he could be a youthful 70's, gentleman wearing the bowler (or is it a Derby) hat.

[eastsussexred]

Originally Posted by WasanActonlad

Appears to be elderly, thought 60's, though he could be a youthful 70's, gentleman wearing the bowler (or is it a Derby) hat.

I must admit that he looks familiar, but I cant tie him in with the other photo of Edward Manners that I have. Additionally, In the original Wrexham Races, all of the old names associated with the course and club, such as Manners, Kershaw and Taylor etc were usually reported as stewards in newspaper race reports, but in both meetings in 1902- May and September, none are mentioned. Though, It could be him WAL.

[eastsussexred]

Originally Posted by eastsussexred

It was stopped in 1855 but started back up again in the 1870's I think (the exact dates are further back in this thread) somewhere Panda.

Horse racing at The Racecourse was stopped after the 1858 meeting (although Cavalry horse races continued) but it was the birth of the football club, which gave rise to the reintroduction of public horseracing in 1865.
The club was really started as an athletics club; hence the name 'Wrexham Football and Athletics club' and the original members had voted that any profit from football matches should be used to promote athletic sports events in the town. The first athletic Sports event in association with the football club took place on Saturday 13th May 1865, but on Tuesday 7th November of the same year, another athletic sports event was arranged and Galloway races and a sweepstakes were added. While the Athletic Sports events continued at least once annually, the horse racing influence increased year on year until 1873 when The Wrexham Races were completely revived under Jockey Club Rules, and the athletics events began to be seperated into its own meeting.
The races of October 1876 were operated according to Newmarket and Grand National rules, but from 1890 the races were held under British Pony and Galloway Racing Association rules, until the races were finally stopped on The Racecourse, due to a lack of public support after a rainsoaked meeting on 26 August 1912.

On August 6th 1921, The Chester Observer reported that The Wrexham Races (under Midland Racing Club Rules) had been held on a capital new racecourse, on the Rhyd Broughton Estate, on Saturday 30th July. The meeting of 6 races offering £125 in stakes and a cup were well attended, but no more races were reported after this year.

[steve]

Originally Posted by eastsussexred

Horse racing at The Racecourse was stopped after the 1858 meeting (although Cavalry horse races continued) but it was the birth of the football club, which gave rise to the reintroduction of public horseracing in 1865.
The club was really started as an athletics club; hence the name 'Wrexham Football and Athletics club' and the original members had voted that any profit from football matches should be used to promote athletic sports events in the town. The first athletic Sports event in association with the football club took place on Saturday 13th May 1865, but on Tuesday 7th November of the same year, another athletic sports event was arranged and Galloway races and a sweepstakes were added. While the Athletic Sports events continued at least once annually, the horse racing influence increased year on year until 1873 when The Wrexham Races were completely revived under Jockey Club Rules, and the atnd hletics events began to be seperated into its own meeting.
The races of October 1876 were operated according to Newmarket and Grand National rules, but from 1890 the races were held under British Pony and Galloway Racing Association rules, until the races were finally stopped on The Racecourse, due to a lack of public support after a rainsoaked meeting on 26 August 1912.

On August 6th 1921, The Chester Observer reported that The Wrexham Races (under Midland Racing Club Rules) had been held on a capital new racecourse, on the Rhyd Broughton Estate, on Saturday 30th July. The meeting of 6 races offering £125 in stakes and a cup were well attended, but no more races were reported after this year.

Interesting thread east sussex and thanks for sharing on here.Remember reading in some old wxm book which I no longer have that the football and athletics club was set up by the Wrexham cricket team and weren't we one of the first football clubs in the country to advocate 11 a side rather than the 15 a side or whatever it was at the time? Loads of history around the club and town and this thread is a great read.

[eastsussexred]

Originally Posted by steve

Interesting thread east sussex and thanks for sharing on here.Remember reading in some old wxm book which I no longer have that the football and athletics club was set up by the Wrexham cricket team and weren't we one of the first football clubs in the country to advocate 11 a side rather than the 15 a side or whatever it was at the time? Loads of history around the club and town and this thread is a great read.

The cricket club have been credited with founding the football club in 1864 (which is true) Steve, but it was another organisation- The United Volunteer Services Club, which laid the foundations on which the club would be built; and this also links back to the days when the races were abandoned.
Horse racing at The Racecourse was stopped in 1858, due to anti social behaviour, which was mostly brought on by the consumption of alcohol, during the annual local holidays, when the race meetings were held.
In the early days, the races had been a more sober event, which was frequented by the gentry of the land, but the growth of industry during the industrial Revolution had meant that by the mid 19th Century, the population of the town and surrounding area had been greatly increased, by an influx of people who sought work. Subsequently, the mood at the annual races changed, and they were eventually stopped, by a campaign of local residents, who sought to bring an end to the affects of huge numbers of people drinking alcohol in the town. This kind of problem was a major issue in many industrial towns of the day, where poverty was rife; working conditions were frequently dangerous and generally very poor, wages were low and the working day was long and very arduous for the masses. As is often the case in such situations, many of the working men and women would try to escape the hardships of their lives, by drinking in public houses, but the affect of this was that anti social behaviour increased massively, peoples mental and physical health deteriorated, generally, and poverty increased even more. In Wrexham, as in other towns, civic leaders sought to end this destructive pattern, and athletic activities were championed as a saviour for the masses.
It was amidst this atmosphere that The United Volunteer services Club was founded, to provide athletic sports for the townsfolk, almost a year to the day, before Wrexham Football and Athletics Club was founded.

The massive Wrexham AFC history thread (The sad case of a founding members and player of Wrexham...)

Edward Manners, Charles Edward Kershaw and Evan Morris (Sir) plus others, had all been members and regular players of the cricket club, and while Edward Manners was credited with greatly improving the cricket club, it was Charles Edward Kershaw and Evan Morris, in particular, who had sought to create an athletics club; Evan Morris was also passionate in his belief that athletics and football helped to improve moral behaviour, ease social tensions and bridge the huge void between the different social classes ‘football should be encouraged, for it brings men together; high and low, rich and poor, to contend on an equal platform, where one man is as good as another, and the best man wins’.
So while The Denbighshire County Cricket Club (formerly Wrexham Cricket Club) should be credited with founding the football club; the birth of the club itself has its roots in a much wider movement of the time; of which, The United Volunteer Services Club played a major part. Ironically, the club was abandoned after its first year as it was no longer needed, specifically, as it had attained its aim - to provide athletic sports for the townsfolk of Wrexham; hence the name ' Wrexham Football and Athletic Club'.

[panda23]

Originally Posted by eastsussexred

It was stopped in 1855 but started back up again in the 1870's I think (the exact dates are further back in this thread) somewhere Panda.

Cheers I thought it would be on here somewhere, it's a great resource thanks for the contributions. I also seen the horse racing pics you posted on here on a local history Facebook page as well.

[Canary]

Originally Posted by eastsussexred

I can now definately confirm that while this John Taylor was secretary to Wrexham Olympic and secretary to The Denbighshire Football Association, who later became Secretary to The Football Association of Wales, he was not the John Taylor who played in our first ever game.

I agree. John Taylor, Wrexham Olympic secretary and later FAW secretary, was born in Bilston, Staffordshire in 1860 or 1861 so can't have been the earlier chap. Once he'd done his time he was a newsagent in Bank Street for some 20 years. He died in Wrexham in 1933 and Ted Robbins attended the funeral. To their credit the FAW also sent a wreath.

[eastsussexred]

Originally Posted by panda23

Cheers I thought it would be on here somewhere, it's a great resource thanks for the contributions. I also seen the horse racing pics you posted on here on a local history Facebook page as well.

Thanks. I don't use facebook, but have created a couple of connections with a few ancestry websites, both here and abroad, and posted the occasional article in The Denbighshire archives.
It's good to know that articles from this thread are reaching a wider audience, and also good to know that Y Cae Ras is now being widely recognised as dating from much earlier than previously considered.

[eastsussexred]

Originally Posted by Canary

I agree. John Taylor, Wrexham Olympic secretary and later FAW secretary, was born in Bilston, Staffordshire in 1860 or 1861 so can't have been the earlier chap. Once he'd done his time he was a newsagent in Bank Street for some 20 years. He died in Wrexham in 1933 and Ted Robbins attended the funeral. To their credit the FAW also sent a wreath.

Hi Canary; thank you for the information. I had wondered what had happened to this John Taylor, but lost track after he had been sent to prison.
It would be nice to find 'Jos Roberts' from the original 1864 match against the fire brigade as it would finally establish the original 10 man team of Wrexham Football and Athletic Club. I do have one strong candidate, but just can't find the definitive evidence that links this particular person to that team.